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With one last violent effort, Ben was finally able to twist his neck in the circle of leather so that his whole body turned to face the Gladers Tho--thefrom his mouth, the pale skin stretched taut across his veins and bones He looked as alien as anything Thoine

"Hold!" Alby shouted

Ben screa that Thomas covered his ears It was a bestial, lunatic cry, surely ripping the boy’s vocal cords to shreds At the last second, the front Keeper soer pole from the piece attached to Ben and yanked it back into the Glade, leaving the boy to his Banishment Ben’s final screams were cut off when the walls closed with a terrible boom

Thomas squeezed his eyes shut and was surprised to feel tears trickling down his cheeks

CHAPTER 15

For the second night in a row, Thoe of Ben’s face burned into his ht now if it weren’t for that one boy? Thomas could almost convince himself he’d be completely content, happy and excited to learn his new life, ai a Runner Almost Deep down he knew that Ben was only part of his one, Banished to the world of the Grievers, taken to wherever they took their prey, victih he had plenty of reasons to despise Ben, heout that way, but based on Ben’s last , he no longer doubted the importance of the Glade rule that no one should enter the Maze except Runners, and then only during the day So once, which meant he knew better than perhaps anyone just exactly what lay in store for hiuy

Thoht about it, being a Runner didn’t sound like such a great idea But, inexplicably, it still called to hi, dawn had barely touched the sky before the working sounds of the Glade wakened Thomas fro his eyes, trying to shake the heavy grogginess Giving up, he lay back down, hoping no one would bother him

It didn’t last a minute

Someone tapped his shoulder and he opened his eyes to see Newt staring down at hioodto you, too What time is it?"

"Seven o’clock, Greenie," Newt said with a h couple days"

Tho that he couldn’t just lie there for another few hours "Sleep in? What are you guys, a bunch of farmers?" Farain his memory wipe baffled him

"Uh … yeah, now that ya mention it" Newt plopped down beside Thos up under hi out at all the hustle-bustle starting to whip up across the Glade "Gonna put ya with the Track-hoes today, Greenie See if that suits your fancy ies and such"

Tho treated like a baby "Aren’t you supposed to quit calling h and shook his head "No, Greenie I’irl in the coirl crashed around his mind, made him remember the connection he felt A sadness washed over him, as if he missed her, wanted to see her That doesn’t ht I don’t even know her narew soht, now didn’t ya?"

Thonored him and uys workin’ their butts off in the Gardens--tilling, weeding, planting and such"

Thomas nodded in that direction "Who’s the Keeper?"

"Zart Nice guy, s’long as you don’t sluff on the job, that is He’s the big one that stood in front last night"

Tho that so about Ben and the Banishuilty, so heelse "So why’d you co on the wake-up?"

"Not especially So--" But before he could finish his sentence the ru for the day cut hi to see Ben standing there on the other side Instead, he saw Minho stretching Then Tho up

It was the section of pole with the leather collar attached to it Minho see it to one of the other Runners, ent and put it back in the tool shed near the Gardens

Thomas turned back to Newt, confused How could Minho act so nonchalant about it all? "What the--"

"Only seen three Banishht But every buggin’ time, the Grievers leave the collar on our doorstep Gives ree "What do they do with people when they catch theed, his indifference not very convincing More likely he didn’t want to talk about it

"So tell me about the Runners," Thomas said suddenly The words seemed to pop out of nowhere But he ree the subject; he wanted to know everything about the the Griever through the , he wanted to know The pull to knoas strong, and he didn’t quite understand why Beco he was born to do

Newt had paused, looking confused "The Runners? Why?"

"Just wondering"

Newt gave hiuys Have to be Everything depends on the it absently as it bounced to a stop

"Why aren’t you one?"

Newt’s gaze returned to Tho few months back Hasn’t been the bloody saht ankle absently, a brief look of pain flashing across his face The look made Thomas think it was more from the memory, not any actual physical pain he still felt

"How’d you do it?" Thoet Newt to talk, the in’ Grievers, what else? Alives "

The Changing It was the one topic that Tho else "What is that, anyway? What changes? Does everyone go psycho like Ben and start trying to kill people?"

"Ben orse than ht you wanted to talk about the Runners" Newt’s tone warned that the conversation about the Changing was over